


Days Go On

by Tabithian



Series: A Lighted Window [7]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU, DCU - Comicverse, Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-19
Updated: 2012-08-19
Packaged: 2017-11-12 11:06:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/490195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tabithian/pseuds/Tabithian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They've had fights before, more than Jason cares to count, some that he never even knew they <i>had</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Days Go On

They've had fights before, more than Jason cares to count, some that he never even knew they _had_. Usually over stupid things, little things. Who used the last of the toothpaste? Who the hell has been drinking straight out of the carton again? Dick, that's fucking disgusting, does Alfred know you do that?

This time, though. This time it starts with something small like it normally does, something stupid, but instead of running out of steam part-way through it and just keeps building and building. Past arguments and insecurities get tossed and thrown like weapons, both looking to hurt. 

Dick has plans to go to the Manor for a few days and Jason can't go because of work and it's. They've done things like this before because Dick knows Jason isn't really comfortable at the Manor, and it isn't all about his suspicions regarding Bruce and Alfred. Jason just doesn't feel like he fits in there, in that part of Dick's life, and maybe that's the real problem.

Tim and the others go into hiding, huddled under tables and chairs while Dick packs, shoving clothes and toiletries in a bag, shoulders tense, face pulled down in a frown.

Jason watches him grab his jacket and keys with sharp, angry movements. "I'll be at the manor for a few days." He looks back at Jason, and Jason's never seen him look like that before. Angry, sad. Miserable. "I'll be back on Wednesday." 

And then he just fucking _leaves_. (Jason's not like Dick, he's never had the kind of faith Dick has that things will turn out okay. He's never had reason to.)

********

Somehow he makes it through the first two days. He knows he's just going through the motions. Roy and Kory try to get what's bothering out of him but the thing is, Jason doesn't know. He doesn't remember what set them off this time, and that's. That's probably bad.

“Go home, Jason. You aren't doing anyone good like this,” Kory says, hand on his shoulder and an understanding smile on her face. “Perhaps things will be clearer once you get some rest.”

Roy's Roy, so he tosses a socket wrench at Jason's head with a, “Jesus Christ, Todd. Get the hell out of here, you're sucking the joy out of everything.”

At home Tim and the others are subdued, like furry little ghosts. Slinking from room to room during the day and piling into bed with him at night like they're heartbroken. Damian, as always, is the exception. He takes to lurking under the couch and chairs where he takes swipes at Jason when he walks by, Colin a shadow by his side.

By the third day Jason's had enough because he's an idiot - and no matter how hard he tries, he'll always be an idiot, he's gotten used to that. Dick is the first good thing to happen in his life in a long time and Jason misses him. He's not going to lose him to his own stupidity or pride. 

********

When he gets to the manor _Bruce_ opens the door, dressed up in fencing gear - saber in hand.

"Ah, _Jason_. I wasn't expecting to see you." And then he smiles, that absolutely terrifying one that Jason sees in his fucking nightmares. "I was just on my way to meet a friend for a fencing match."

Jason was under the impression people didn't actually get into their fencing gear until they were at the gym or wherever the match is supposed to take place, but it's not like he's going to question the man with the fucking sword. 

"Uh. Is Dick here?" Jason asks, even though he knows he is, he can see Betty at the end of the drive, tucked in next to a row of hedges. 

Bruce just sort of _hmms_. Like he's trying to decide if Jason deserves an answer of if he should just skip to the part where he runs Jason through and has Alfred deal with the mess before Dick sees, because wouldn't that be awful.

"He's in the gym," Bruce says after a long moment, everything about him warning Jason to tread lightly or the police will never find the body.

"Yeah. Okay. Good talk?" Jason says, squeezing past Bruce when he steps aside.

Bruce raises an eyebrow. "I suppose we'll see about that, won't we?" And just walks off like he didn't just threaten Jason.

"Jesus," Jason mutters, and goes off in search of Dick. He's fully aware that Alfred's inside the manor somewhere and knows how to use a gun, and _why_ did he ever think it was a good idea to come here when Bruce and Alfred are mad at him on Dick's behalf? 

He gets turned around once or twice, and oh, hey, look. Alfred's decided now would be a good time to clean his shotgun. Titus is at his feet dozing, possibly the worst guard dog in the world, all of Bruce's efforts otherwise. 

"Indeed, Master Jason." Alfred says, running the cleaning rod through the shotgun's barrel, double rows of shotgun shells on the table in front of him. "I find it strangely soothing. Odd, wouldn't you say?"

That would not be on the top of his list of word choices, no. 

"The gym is down the left corridor," Alfred says, checking the patch to see if he needs to run a brush through. 

"Right. Thanks, Alfred."

Jason doesn't run. Running from a predator is the last thing you want to do. It's actually one of the absolute worst things you could do, but he does walk a little faster than he usually does.

********

He's not surprised to find Dick on the trapeze doing things that very few people could do like it's the most natural thing in the world. He settles against the wall and watches because Dick's fucking amazing like this, unfettered by gravity, _flying_.

Jason knows exactly when Dick realizes he's there because he goes from the simpler, basic moves and kicks the routine up, goddamn showoff. He knows Dick's done when he goes for the quadruple somersault and _nails it_ , fucking incredible.

Dick always says it's his family's legacy, one of the few things he has left of them.

Jason watches Dick take things back down again, dismounting with a clean little flip that ends with hims facing Jason, throwing his arms up like he's playing to the crowd. 

"Jason." 

Dick's out of breath, covered in sweat and glowing with this. It has to be something like inner peace, and God, Jason's been friends with Kory too long, but there's no other way to describe it. Dick looks happy, the tight, pinched look on his face from a few days ago is gone.

After several moments go by with them staring at one another like idiots something dark, unhappy creeps back into Dick's expression. He turns away, headed for a bench against the far wall that has a towel and water bottle set out.

"The kids miss you," Jason says, for lack of anything better to say. Jason's terrible with words. He knows it. Dick knows it. 

Dick laughs, looks over his shoulder at Jason. "Really?"

" _I_ miss you, you bastard," Jason grumbles, walking towards Dick who turns to face him, this. This stupid fucking smile on his face that gets bigger the closer Jason gets. 

"You did, huh?" Dick asks. 

"Jesus, you're impossible." Jason stops when he's well into Dick's personal space and just. Looks. "We're idiots," he says, because they are. They so fucking are. "I'm an idiot."

Dick sighs, fond. "Of course you are," he says, grabbing Jason into a hug, tucking his face into Jason's neck "I was going to come back, Jay, I just needed time to cool off. "I was coming back."

Jason tries to pretend he believes that, that he doesn't have a track record of things turning to shit just when he thinks he might be doing okay for him. He doesn't really fit into this part of Dick's life, but Dick doesn't care, because Dick loves him and their crappy apartment and Betty and their furry little family. 

"Fucking Murder kitten _set up ambushes_ for me."

Dick laughs, like he finds it hilarious that Damian was seriously trying to kill him this time. Speaking of which -

"I'm pretty sure Bruce and Alfred were going to kill me." They still might. They had look about them.

"Jason - "

"Bruce answered the door with a sword in his hand, Dick. And I'm supposed to believe that Alfred thought today of all days would be a good day to clean his shotgun?"

Dick doesn't say anything to that because really, there's nothing to say to that. (Except maybe. “Call the police.”)

But then he just has to go and prove Jason wrong because he's Dick and he does things like that. 

"Hey, that reminds me - "

"Dick. If this is like that story you told me about your middle school chemistry lab partner, I really don't want to hear it." 

Because Dick is kind of a bastard and thinks it's the best thing ever that Jason thinks his adoptive family are murderers. (And maybe Jason doesn't _really_ think that, but they sure as hell makes it hard not to wonder sometimes.)

"You want me to go first?" Dick asks after several moments. "Make sure the coast's clear?"

"Shut up," Jason grumbles, holding Dick tighter. A few more minutes like this won't hurt anyone.


End file.
